Pneumatic thread extractor for looms



A ril 30, 1940. R. G. TURNER PNEUMATIC THREAD EXTRACTOR FOR LOOMS Filed Feb. 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Horney Inventor Richard G.Turne.r

April 30, 1940. R. a. TURNER PNEUMATIC THREAD EXTRACTOR FOR LOOMS Filed Feb. 10, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inveni'or Richard GfTu-rner 24.. 12-. Afiorney Patented Ap 30, 1940 3,199,898 PNEUMATIC THREAD EXTBACTOB FOB LOOKS Richard G. Turner, Worcester,- Mal, asaignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass corporation of Massachusetts Application February 10,

1938, Serial No. 190,637

31 Claims. (01. 139-256) This invention relates to improvements in extractors for the thread left by the outgoing bobbin of a weft replenishing loom at the time of transfer and it is the general object of the invention to eflect the removal of this thread pneumatically.

At the time of transfer in a bobbin changing loom a thread extends from the selvage to the depleted bobbin in the shuttle and provision must be made for its removal if perfect cloth is to be woven. It is an important object of my present invention to effect the removal of this thread from the path of the shuttle by a pneumatic device the intake mouth of which is behind the thread when the lay is at front center so that rearward motion of the lay moves the thread into the range of the thread extractor. So far as I am aware previously proposed devices of this kind have had the intake mouth in front of the thread, but since the thread is not out until front center, the lay acts to draw the thread rearwardly away from the extractor as soon as the thread can respond to the extractor. In my present invention, on the other-hand, the motion of the lay moves the thread toward the extractor subsequent to cutting and the thread will therefore be in the mouth of the extractor at the time of picking. By maintaining a partial vacuum in the extractor throughout the rearward motion of the lay assurance is given that the extractor will be able to act on the thread at any time during backward motion of the lay when the thread is free to be attracted by the blast of air.

I find that it is necessary to have the thread acted upon by the central portion of the draft of air. A thread which lies entirely at one side of the intake mouth will not respond suiiiciently and it is necessary to draw the thread across the mouth so that the inrushing air can act on opposite sides of the thread. To accomplish this result I form the intake mouth with notches into which the thread is directed during rearward motion of the lay, these notches holding the thread directly in the most rapidly moving part of the air stream.

It is a further object of my present invention to move the intake of the thread extractor away from the fell of the cloth for reasons which will appear from a consideration of the threads attached to the salvage during and subsequent to transfer. As shown herein I effect this movement of the extractor by raising it but I do not wish to be limited to'this particular means for removing the extractor from the range of the several threads mentioned. Prior to transfer there will be a thread extending from the selvage to the empty bobbin, while subsequent to transfer there will be a second thread extending from the thread holder of the magazine to the selvage.

A temple cutter is provided to out both of these 5 threads, but it is to be understood that between replenishing operations there will be a thread extending from the selvage on alternate beats of the loom. By raising the extractor after it has received the thread of the outgoing bobbin the latter is moved out of entangling position with respect to the thread attached to the thread holder and laid by the fresh bobbin. In raising the thread holder I also find that the action of the temple cutter is improved, since the thread extends upwardly from the selvure and is held taut enough to respond to the cutter. So far as threads extending from the selvage on alternate beats are concerned, the thread extractor is far enough away from them to have no effect on them. If the thread extractor should remain near the selvage it would tend to draw the weft ends away fromthe seivage to form undesirable loops on alternate beats of the loom. A still further reason for lifting the thread extractor is that it removes the thread which it holds from the path of the shuttle and the latter can therefore not engage the thread to drive it into the warp shed.

It is another object of my present invention to provide friction means which will hold the thread at a point adjacent to the shuttle eye and in such position as to prevent substantial feeding back of the thread toward the selvage. In this way the thread is held suiiiciently taut so that it will be directed into the mouth of the extractor as the lay moves rearwardly. The friction operates as Just described until picking at which time outward movement of the shuttle from the box will slacken the thread. By this time, however, the lay has moved back far enough to insure entry-of the hread into the extractor mouth, and since the vacuum is maintained during this interval, the thread will be drawn into the mouth as quickly as it is slackened by shuttle motion.

I have found that a vacuum will draw a thread into the mouth more efficiently if the thread ex- -tends across the mouth in a path which is more or less straight. If there is any considerable bend in the thread friction against the edges of the mouth interfere with the passage of the thread into the extractor. In the usual type of weft replenishing loom the shuttle box has a mouth defined by a front wall which extends down to the box floor. This wall is sumciently close to the thread extractor so that rearward 'tle.

motion of the lay will cause a sharp angle to exist between the thread and the direction which it takes across the inrushing stream of air. In order to avoid this relationship I undercut a part of the wall so that the thread may extend from a point of contact deep in the shuttle box between the shuttle and the binder toward the extractor mouth, thereby lessening the angle.

It is a further object of my invention to mount the thread extractor so that it is normally out of operating position and is moved to operating position, as by lowering, by some part of the transfer mechanism. The restoration of the extractor to normal or inoperative position is effected in the present instance by a connection with the lay which acts to lift it to normal position when the lay reaches back center. I believe I am the first to move a pneumatic thread extractor from a normally inoperative position to operative position. When raised it will be out of the path of a shuttle which may be improperly boxed. Since the extractor is lowered by the transferrer arm, and since the latter will not descend if a shuttle is misplaced due to action of the shuttle feeler, there is no likelihood that the extractor will ever be struck by the shut- By this arrangement the extractor may if desired be operated in connection with a vacuum effective between transferring beats of the loom without danger that threads extending from the selvage to the shuttle box in the normal course of weaving will be drawn into the extractor to form undesirable loops at the selvage.

It is a more specific object of my invention to provide the lay with a friction yielding surface. such as pile fabric, to support the thread and at the same time allow a part of the extractor to pass under the thread by deformation of the piles to present the thread properly to the intake mouth.

In previous pneumatic thread extractors a thread cutter has been employed at the box mouth to cut the thread extending from the selvage to the shuttle into two parts the outer of which was likely to be pinched between the shuttle and the binder. Such arrangements required mechanism to take care of two pieces of thread, the outer of which frequently broke when the shuttle was picked. This broken thread, not being attached to any part of the thread removing mechanism, was likely to be whippedinto the shed to form a defective pick. It is an important object of my present invention to allow the thread from the selvage to the shuttle eye to remain intact as one piece and draw the ends thereof into the extractor as they are cut. This not only eliminates the box mouth cutter but places the thread extending into the shuttle box under control of the extractor. I believe I am the first to draw a weft end pneumatically out of the shuttle box toward the center of the loom for the purpose of removing the same from the lay.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompa yins drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the upper part of a loom adjacent the replenishing mechanism, the thread extractor being shown in its normally raised position and the lay in rear position.

Fig. 2 is a detailed vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of certain of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, parts being in section, and

the shuttle being shown as provided with a freshbobbin which has just been transferred,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 1 but on a smaller scale and showing the operating connections between the lay, and the extractor,

Fig. 5 is a detailed vertical section through the intake mouth of the extractor,

Fig. 6 is a detailed front elevation of a portion of Fig. 1 showing the extractor in lowered position and a shuttle about to receive a fresh bobbin,

8. 7 is a detailed horiozntal section on line 11 of Fig. 5,

Figs. 8 to 11 are ticviews showing the relation of the thread extractor to the outgoing and incoming threads at the time of transfer, and

Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation of a vacuum pump and associated valve structure.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Fig. 4, I have shown a loom frame ll having a breast beam IS, a lay l'|,-connector l8 therefor and top or crank shaft I! to drive the connector and lay. The shaft makes one revolution for each beat 'of the loom, being in front center position at the time of transfer, in top center position at the time of picking, and reaching back center position whilethe shuttle is still in flight.

A vacuum pump 20 is mounted on the loom frame and has a piston 2| driven by an upright lever 22 pivoted as at 23 to the loom frame and actuated by the lay through a connector 24. The pump acts to create a partial vacuum during the backward stroke of the lay, this action starting immediately after front center and continuing to back center. A flexible tube 25 connects the pump with a thread accumulator 28 mounted on the loom frame and serving as a reservoir to receive threads. During backward motion of the lay the air in the accumulator is under reduced pressure.

The two-color rocking reserve bobbin magazine "is pivoted as at II to a stand 32 fixed with respect to the loom frame. This magazine supplies two distinctive types of weft and may if desired be made and operated according to my Patent No. 2,128,974, issued September 6, 1939. The magazine is shown for illustrative purposes only and my invention set forth hereinafter is in no way restricted in its use and operation to the particular magazine shown. The transferrer arm 35 is pivoted as at 30 to the stand 32 and is attached to a latch 31 to be operated by a lay hunter 3! on a transferring beat of the loom. At the time of transfer the transferrer arm is depressed from the normally raised position shown in Fig. 1 to transfer the lowest bobbin of the selected group in the magazine into a shuttle 8 located in the shuttle box B on the lay under the magazine.

In order that the invention to be set forth hereinafter may operate satisfactorily ,I desire to cut the weft thread of the outgoing bobbin at a point adjacent the eye E of the shuttle and have shown for this Purpose a form of cutter set forth in Payne Patents Nos. 1,881,920 and 1,932,801. This cutter has a lever lll pivoted on a fixed vertical stud ll mounted in a stand 48 and connected by a torsion spring 42 acting normally to turn the lever in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in 11g. 3. 111a right end of this lever is provided with a 48 on which is mounted a thread cutter to cooperate with a plate 45 mounted in the front wall of the shuttle close to them E, as indicated in Fig.3. The left arm 48 of lever .48 is positioned for engagement with a projection 49onthe depending arm 41 of the transferrer and when the latter is raised in normal'position it holds the cutter blade 44 forwardly out of the p'ath of the shuttle, but when the transferrer arm descends the end 48 moves forwardly under action of spring 42 and the cutter blade 44 is projected rearwardly against a plate 48. The thread from the shuttle eye will normally extend acrossthis plate so that it will be cut by the blade 44 "at a time not later than the completion of transfer and preferably a short'interval before. This form of cutter is but one of several which might be used and is set forth herein as anexample of such mechanism which operates to cut the thread of the outgoing bobbin at a point near the shuttle eye.

.The temple 50 is of the usual form and has a [cutter i adjacent the selvage of the cloth C.

As shown in Fig. 3 the temple is set several picks ahead of the reed 52 when the lay is on front center and the thread to be cut will ordinarily not reach cutter 5i until several picks after transfer.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide the lay with a transverse well 88 into which I place a strip 6| of friction material, such as pile fabric indicated in Fig. 1. -This fabric may be mounted on any suitable base 82 (Fig. 6) and preferably projects forwardly from the lay as suggested in Fig. 3. The pile fabric is suiiiciently low to offer no interference to the normal running of the shuttle but is high enough to engage the weft thread extending along the lay from the shuttle box toward the cloth being woven.

The box mouth 65 may be formed with a rectangular opening 86, into which the binder 81 projects. The lower rear part of the box mouth is under-cut as at 88 so that the lower surface thereof lies somewhat abovethe box plate 89 to define with the latter a narrow horizontal slot 64 into which the thread may extend. The forward part of the friction material 8i should 'extend at least as far forward as the slot, so that, any thread located in the front part of the slot will be able to lie acrossthe pile fabric. when; the lay is on frontcenter position as shown in Fig. 3 the weft W extending therefrom will pass diagonally from the front wall of the shuttle rearwardly over the friction material 8! to the adjacent selvage. As the lay recedes the thread will change its angular relation, to the lay and enter slot 64 for reasons to be described.

The thread extractor shown more particularly in Fig. 1 comprises a rod 18 held for longitudinal adjustment in arocking. holder 'll pivoted about a bolt 12 shown more particularly in Fig. 2, The bolt is carried by a bracket 18 supported on the loom framebehind the lay. The rocking holder II has a bearing 14 through which the bolt extends and I place a washer of friction material I5 between the' bearing 14- and the bracket 13. A disk spring 18 under the head of the bolt is used to increase the eflect of the frictionmaterial and may be set to any desired degree of tension by means of nut on the bolt. The rocking holder Ii will be held by the friction and the disk spring in any position to which it may be moved.- The lay carries a reset-- ting screw 80 to engage the upper part of the rocking holder II and turn the latter ina mter-clockwise direction asviewed in Fig. 1 subsequent to a transfer *operation.

The forward end of rod n is provided with a head 82 carrying a roll "to cooperate with a cam plate 84 secured to the 'transferrerarm. The setting of the screw 89 is such that .it will move the roll 88 into or almost into engagement with the cam 84 whenthe lay reaches back center, the'screw 88 being adjustable to prevent too much upward pressure of the roll against the cam 84. A stop screw I88 in bracket 13 engages rod 18 to limit down motion of head 82-. The upper position of the transferrer arm is determined by a stop lug 88 thereonto engage the stand 82.

Extending vertically through the head 82 is a tube 88 the upper end of which is connected by means of a flexible hose. 9| to the-accumulator 28, as shown in Fig. 4. The lower end of the tube" is flattened so that it has an elliptical horizontal cross section the major axis of which extends-in the direction of the lay. The particular form of the lower end of the tube is shown v in Figs. 1,5 and 7. The rear wall 98 is bent forwardly to define a downwardly and forwardly inclined lower lip 94, while the front wall 95 has an upwardly and forwardly inclined lipv 98. The side walls 91 of the tube project forwardly from the wall 98 and are formed with notches 98 which do not extend to the wall 93 but terminate a sufflcient distance in front thereof so that a thread lying across the notches, as suggested in Fig. 7, will be spaced from the rear wall. The opening between the walls 91 and the lips' constitutes a mouth 99 into which the thread is drawn and across which the thread is held by the notches 98. I have found this to bean important relation ,inasmuchas the inrushing air is able to pass upwardly both behind and in front of the thread and therefore exert maximum force on it.

from the shuttle near the eye, as already described, and second, the lowering of cam 84 rocks the rod 10 and parts moving therewith from the position of Fig. l to that suggested in Fig. 4. The transfer and placing of the parts just described is completed when-the lay reaches front center. r Q a The parts are so related that the lip 94 dips into the piles of the friction material- 8|, as suggested in Fig. 6; and at a point behind the weft W, as shown in Fig. 3. The longitudinal position of the tube 98 in the head 82 is determined by a set screw Ill threaded into the head 82 and bearing against thetube 98. Byineans of this adjustment the lip 94 can be set to the position indicated in Fig. 6 when the transferrer arm is in its lowest position. Screw I08 prevents head 82 from falling too low should the friction devices loosen.

As the lay starts to move rearwa'rdly the transferrer arm will rise as usual but the friction connection shownin Fig. 2 will hold the tube 90 down, the resetting screw 80 being at this time considerably in front of the rocking holder 'll.

As the lay recedes the lip 84 will move-through the piles ofthe friction material BI and pass under the weft W to cause the latter to enter the notches 81 as suggested in Fig. '7.

In order that the thread may be held taut across the friction material the binder 81 is provided with a small mass of fur or other friction material II2 bearing against the shuttle to clamp the thread at a point near the plate I. This friction material H2 prevents the thread from snapping toward the selvage at the time of cutting by blade 44 and it is for this reason that the thread is held taut and hence rearward motion of the lay will draw the thread into the notches 91.

When the lay has moved back to picking position the reed lin'e'will have moved 'back'far' enough to permit the shuttle to pass behind the tube 90. The picking ofthe shuttle slackens the thread, but at this time a piston 2| is mov ing rearwardly in the pump at its greatest rate and is therefore creating its highest vacuum. Any slackening of the thread therefore will permit it to be drawn into the tube 90. As soon as the shuttle leaves the binder 61 the thread will be entirely free from restraint so far as the shuttle is concerned and the inrush of air into tube 90 will draw the outer or right hand end of the thread as viewed in Fig. 3 into the tube and up toward the accumulator 26.

During this backward motion of the lay the thread moves forwardly relatively to the lay due to the fact that it is attached to the selvage. Because of the short distance between the box mouth 65 and the tube 90 a line joining these parts quickly becomes oblique with respect to the lay. If the thread were required to follow this line it would not be favorably placed for entry into the mouth 99. It is for this reason that I provide the undercut slot 64 into which the thread passes, and the angle of the thread is therefore less than it would otherwise be since the thread extends in a straight and slightly oblique line from the point of contact between the binder and shuttle to the mouth 99. The thread is therefore drawn into the mouth more easily since the adjacent wall 93 offers little or no resistance to its motion.

From this operation it will be seen that immediately after picking the part of the thread which had been-to the right of mouth 99 is drawn into the tube. The left hand part of the thread remains attached to the salvage but is held taut by the pneumatic tension which holds the other end in tube 90.

As the lay approaches its rearmost position the resetting screw 80 will engage the rocking holder II which has remained in the position shown in Fig. 4 corresponding to the lowest position of the tube 90, and as the lay reaches back center the holder II will be rocked in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 to reset the extractor to raised position, where it will be held by the friction disk 15. During the subsequent forward motion of the lay, tube 90 will be above the path of the shuttle, so that even though the latter were misplaced it would not contact with the tube 90.

thread w' of the fresh bobbin indicated in dot.

and dash lines in Fig. lo, which has been laid by the shuttle on its first pick after transfer, will extend along the lay below the weft W without becoming entangled therewith. Since the tube 00 is raised there is no chance that the thread W will enter the tube.

At some subsequent beat-up the temple cutter will operate and either out both of the threads W and W at the same time or cut thread W first. cutting theother thread later. As soon as thread W is cut at the temple it will be drawn into the tube 80 by the immediately ensuing stroke of piston 2|. The thread W will thereupon approach the tube 80 as suggested by the arrow in Fig. 11-and after the thread W has the cloth and passes into the accumulator 26 which holds it confined. The shuttle is picked by a picker I20 slidin along a picker spindle I2I' mounted on the lay and driven by a picker stick I22 after the trans fer operation is completed and approximately at top center.

Valve I3I acting against light spring I32 opens toward the pump when a vacuum is created, but closes on the return stroke to prevent the pump from blowing the thread out of the pipe 90. A valve I33 on the piston closes when a vacuum is being formed, but opens on the return stroke so that no power to compress air will be drawn from the loom.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a thread holder operating pneumatically and having an intake mouth located behind the thread of the outgoing bobbin so that rearward motion of the lay moves the filling toward the mouth. It will also be seen that the vacuum pump acts to cause an inrush of air into the mouth 99 during the time that the thread is being placed for reception by the mouth. Furthermore, the mouth is so constructed as to require the thread to lie across the inrushing stream of air. Another feature resides in the fact that the extractor is raised above the path of the shuttle a short time after the transferring operation is completed. This feature has two advantages one of which is that a misplaced shuttle on subsequent beats of the loom will not damage the extractor, and the other of which is the fact that the intake mouth 99 is moved to a position where it cannot receive the thread of the incoming bobbin when the latter is cut by the temple cutter several picks after transfer, or threads laid by the shuttle on subsequent beats. The raising of the tube 90 also places the thread more favorably for cutting at the temple and the pneumatic tension on the thread permits the latter to yield sufilciently during upward movement of the tube 90 to prevent thread breakage. Again, provision is made for gripping the thread between the shuttle andthe binder to hold the thread taut during the first part of rearward lay motion for the purpose of. causing the thread to enter the mouth 99 and the thread is released at the time of picking due to movement of the shuttle out of the box. Whfle I have shown a pump which creates a vacuum throughout the entire rearward motion of the lay, yet it will be suflicient if the vacuum exists at about the time of picking and continues suificiently long thereafter to draw the thread into the tube 30. While I have illustrated raising of the tube 90 as the specific means for removing it from the fell of the cloth, yet I do not wish to be limited to this construction. Furthermore, it will be seen that the box mouth is undercut so that the thread can extend from a point deep in the box to the mouth 99, thereby reducing the angle of the thread relatively to the lay to a minimum and permitting the thread to be drawn around the adjacent wall 93 with negligible resistance. Furthermore, the transferrer places the extractor for operation and the lay resets it to normal position. Also, the strip of pile fabric 6| supports the thread on the top thereof but permits the lip 94 to project below the thread to give assurance that the latter will enter the mouth 99.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. ma thread controlling mechanism for a loom having a lay and a shuttle thereon from which a thread extends toward the adjacent selvage, means to cut the thread when the lay is in forward position, a pneumatic thread extractor having 'a mouth behind and located in the path of the thread as the latter is moved rearwardly during backward motion of the lay, and means to induce a draft of air-into said extractor as the thread approaches said extractor to draw the thread thereinto. I

2. In thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box having a shuttle therein from which a thread extends rearwardly and toward the adjacent selvage when the layis in forward position, a pneumatic thread jacent selvage when the lay is in forward posi-,

tion, means to cut the thread in the shuttle box when the lay is in forward position, a pneumatic thread extractor for the thread, means to move said extractor to a point behind the thread when the lay is in forward position, rearward motion of the lay moving the thread toward-the thread extractor, and means to induces. draft of air into said extractor to draw the thread into the latter during rearward motion of the lay.

.. 4. In a thread controlling mechanism for a loom having a lay with a shuttle box which contains a shuttle having ,a thread extending therefrom to the adjacent selvage. means to cut the thread at a point intermediate the ends of the shuttle box, a pneumatic thread extractor havin a thread receiving mouth behind the thread when the lay is in forward position, said thread being moved rearwardly toward the mouth by rearward motion of the lay, means to pick the shuttle out ofthe box and thereby release the thread subsequent to arrival'pf' the vthread. at the mouth of said extractor, and means to induce a draft of a shuttle from which a thread extends between the shuttle and the shuttle box to the adjacent selvage, means to cut the thread in the shuttle box at a point between the ends of the shuttle, a pneumatic thread extractor located behind the thread, rearward motion of the lay moving the thread within the range of operation of the thread extractor, means to pick the shuttle'out of the shuttle box during the backward motion of the lay and thereby releases aid cut end, and means toinduce a draft of air into said extractor during picking of the shuttle to cause the thread to enter said extractor.

6. In a pneumatic thread extractor for a weft replenishing loom having a lay and cloth having a fell, a temple cutter adjacent to the fell, a

pneumatic thread extractor having an intake mouth, means to induce a draft of air into the mouth on replenishing beats of the loom, and means to raise the extractor relatively to the temple cutter subsequent to a replenishing operation and after a thread extending from the fell has been drawn into the mouth, the raising of the extractor moving the thread to a position for favorable cutting by the temple cutter.

7. In a thread controlling mechanism for a loom having a lay and shuttle box. containing a shuttle from which a thread extends along the shuttle and to the adjacent selvage, friction means on the shuttle box to press the thread against the shuttle and hold said thread taut, so long as the shuttle is in the shuttle box, a pneumatic thread extractor having an intake mouth positioned to receive the thread while the latter is held taut by said friction means, means to pick the shuttle out of said shuttle' box, means to induce an inrush of air into said mouth during picking of the shuttle and when the latter has moved away from the friction means with resultant slackening of the thread.

8. In thread controlling mechanism for a loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box containing a shuttle having the thread extending therefrom to the adjacent selvage, a mass of friction material on the shuttle box to engage the adjacent wall of the shuttle and press said thread against the shuttle, means to cut the thread at a point between said mass of frictional material and the outer end of the shuttle, means to pick the shuttle out of the box as the lay moves rearwardly, apneumatic threadv catcher having an intake mouth located behind the thread, means to induce a draft of air into the mouth during picking-of the shuttle, backward motion of the lay moving the thread toward said mouth, said thread being held taut between the selvage and said mass of friction material on the shuttle box and picking of theshuttle away from said friction material releasing the thread, whereby the inrushingdraft of air sucks said thread into the thread catcher.

. for said box, a shuttle resting on said bottom and having a thread extending therefrom 'to the selvage, a shuttle binder for the box, a guide for the shuttle binder having the rear 1 lower portion thereof extending over the box bottom and forwardly from the rear of said box guide to define an undercutthread slot, means to hold the thread in the shuttle box'when the lay is in forward position, means to pick the shuttle out of the box as the lay moves rearwardly, a thread extractor having an intake mouth into which the threat. enters, the lay when movingrearwardly causing the thread to enter said undercut slot prior to picking while the thread extractor is in engagement with the thread, said thread thereby being out of the path of the shuttle when the latter is picked, and means to induce a draft of air into the thread extractor to draw the thread thereinto.

10. In thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box, a shuttle binder, a shuttlein the box having a. thread extending therefrom to the selvage in a direction extending rearwardly and diagonally when the lay is in forward position, a guide for the binder having the rear lower portion thereof lying above the bottom of the box to define an undercut thread slot, means to hold the thread in the shuttle box, and a thread extractor located behind the thread and substantially stationary during the rearward motion of thelay,

the lay when moving rearwardly changing the diagonal direction of the thread to cause said thread to extend diagonally from the box toward the selvage in a forward direction to cause the thread to enter said undercut thread slot and move said thread toward the thread extractor, and means thereafter to pick the shuttle out of the box, the thread in the thread slot being out of the path of the shuttle when the latter is picked.

11. In thread controlling mechanism for a loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box, a shuttle in the box having a depleted bobbin provided with a thread which extends from the shuttle toward the adjacent selvage, transferring mechanism to replenish the weft in the shuttle when the lay is in forward position, a normally raised thread extractor having a thread inlet mouth, connections from the transfer mechanism to the thread extractor to move the latter down to a position behind the thread dur- .ing a transferring operation, means to induce a draft of air through said mouth to draw the weft end thereinto during backward motion of the lay while said extractor is in lowered position, and means to raise said extractor as the lay nears the end of its rearward motion.

12. In a thread controlling mechanism for a loom having a lay and a shuttle from which the thread extends toward the selvage, transfer mechanism to replenish the weft in the shuttle, a normally raised pneumatic thread extractor having an inlet mouth for the thread, means to cause the transfer mechanism when operating to place said mouth behind the thread, rearward motion of the lay moving the thread toward said mouth, means to induce a draft of air into said mouth to draw the thread thereinto during backward motion of the lay, and means operated by the lay to return the thread extractor to normal raised position as the lay approaches its rearmost position.

13. In a thread controlling mechanism for a loom having a lay and a shuttle thereon from which the thread extends toward the adjacent selvage, transfer mechanism to replenish the weft in the shuttle, a normally raised pneumatic thread extractor having a thread receiving mouth, a friction mounting for said extractor to hold the latter in any position to which it is moved, means to cause the transfer mechanism when operating to lower the thread extractor to place the mouth behind said thread, rearward motion of the lay moving the thread toward said mouth, means to induce a draft of air into said mouth during rearward motion of the lay and draw said thread into the extractor, and connections between the lay and the extractor to return the latter to normal raised position as the lay approaches rearmost, position.

14. In a thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay provided with a shuttle from which a thread end extends to the adjacent selvage, a mass of deformable material extending across the top of the lay under the thread, the latter being held frictionally on top of said mass of material, a pneumatic thread extractor having a lip extending into and below the surface of the deformable material, rearward motion of the lay causing the deformable material to move the thread on to the lip of the thread catcher. I

15. In a thread controlling. mechanism for a loom having a lay carrying a shuttle from which a thread and extends to the adjacent selvage, a mass of deformable material extending across the lay under the thread and by which the thread is held frictionally, a pneumatic thread extractor having a thread guide extending into the deformable material to a point below the surface thereof, means to support the thread extractor with the thread guide below the surface of the def ormable material, as the lay moves rearwardly, rearward motion of the lay moving the thread toward the thread guide and the latter extending under the thread to direct said thread to the extractor, and means to cause removal of the thread from the lay by a draft of air passing through the thread extractor.

16. In a thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay carrying a shuttle from which a weft thread extends to the adjacent selvage, a mass of deformable fibrous piles carried by the top of the lay under the thread, the latter being held frictionally by said piles, and a thread extractor having a part to extend below the surface of said piles, said extractor effective when in close proximity to said thread to remove the same from the lay, rearward motion of the lay carrying the threadtoward said extractor by reason of the frictional contact between the thread and the piles on the lay.

17. In a thread controlling mechanism for a loom having a lay carrying a shuttle from which a thread end extends toward the adjacent selvage, a strip of pile fabric extending across the lay under the thread and having upwardly projecting textile fibers to have frictional contact with the thread, a thread extractor normally above the lay out of the path of the shuttle, means to depress the threadextractor and cause a part thereof to project into the textile fibers below the level of the thread, means rendering said extractor effective to remove the thread from the lay when said thread is in proximity to the extractor, rearward motion of the lay moving the thread into proximity to the extractor by reason of frictional contact between said thread and the textile fibers on the lay.

18. In a pneumatic thread extractor for a weft replenishing loom having a. lay and cloth having a fell, a pneumatic thread extractor having an intake mouth normally located above the fell of the cloth, means operative upon a replenishing beat of the loom to lower said extractor to place the mouth substantially in the plane of the cloth, means to induce a draft of air into the mouth when the extractor is lowered: tending to draw a thread extending from the fell into the mouth,

and means operating subsequent to the weft replenishing operation to raise 19. In thread controlling mechanism for looms motion of the lay thereafter-moving the thread toward the thread extractor, means to hold the thread taut during said backward motion of the lay, means to pick the shuttle, and means to induce a draft of air into said extractor to draw the thread into said extractor during picking of the shuttle.

20. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay reciprocating therein and having a shuttle box at one end thereof from which a thread extends to the selvage, a pneumatic thread extractor having an intake mouth, means to place the extractor with the mouth thereof adjac nt to the thread on weft replenishing operations of the loom, means to induce a draft of air into the mouth to draw the thread into the extractor on replenishing beats of the loom, and means additional to the lay to move the extractor to move the mouth in a direction away from the thread.

21. In a weft replenishing loom having a thread extending from the fell and selvage of the cloth in a direction away from the cloth, a lay movable back and forth in the'loom, a pneumatic thread extractor having an intake mouth normally spaced from the thread when the lay is in forward position, means to move the extractor relatively to the thread to place the mouth adjacent the thread on weft replenishing picks of the loom, means to induce a, draft of air into the mouth to draw the thread into the extractor on weft replenishing beats of the loom: and means to move the extractor to move the mouth relatively to the fell and in a direction away from the thread.

22. In a weft replenishing loom having a cloth therein with a fell and selvage from which a thread extends in a direction away'fgom the cloth, a lay movable back and forth in the loom, a pneumatic thread extractor having an intake mouth normally spaced from the thread during the back and forth motions of the lay on nonreplenishing beats of the loom, means to. move the extractor to place the mouth adjacent the thread on a weft replenishing beat of the loom,

means to induce a draft of air into the mouth to draw the thread into the extractor on replenishing beats of the loom, and means to move the extractor'to move the intake mouth in a direction away from the thread.

23. In a weft replenishing loom having a cloth with a selvage from which a thread extends in a direction away from' the cloth, a lay movable backwardly and forwardly therein, a pneumatic thread extractor having an intake mouth normally spaced from'the thread, means operative on replenishing beats of the loom to move the extractor and mouth toward. the lay and the'thread, means to induce a draft of air into the mouth to draw the thread into the extractor, and means to move the extractor to move the mouth away a an intake mouth, means to hold the extractor with the mouth adjacent to the thread on weft replenishing beats of the loom, a lay reciprocating in the loom, a fixed vacuum pump having a piston. a connection between the lay and the piston to cause reciprocation of the latter in the pump as the lay reciprocates, and'a pneumatic connection from the pump to the extractor, the pump acting through the pneumatic connection to induce a draft of air into the mouth of the extractor to draw thercinto the thread extending from the selvage.

25. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with a'shuttle box having therein a shuttle from which a thread extends to the selvage, transfer mechanism capable of having a transferring operation to replenish the weft in the shuttle, a thread cutter to cut the thread.

a'pneiimatic thread extractor having an intake cause the thread cutter to cut'the thread when the transfer mechanism has a transferring operation, means to induce .a draft of air into the mouth to attract the thread into the mouth, whereby the thread cutter cuts the thread and the extractor moves to extracting position jointly when the transfer mechanism has a transferring operation, and means to return the extractor to normal position.

26. In a w'eft replenishing loom having alay provided with a shuttle from which a thread extends to the selvage, a transferrer arm to have a transferring movement on replenishing beats of the loom, a pneumatic thread extractor having an intake mouth normally spaced from and outof controlling position with respect to the thread, means to cause the extractor to be moved to place the intake mouth in extracting position adjacent to the thread when the transferrer arm has a transferring movement, means to induce a draft of air into the intake mouth to draw the thread into the'latter, means to hold the thread extractor with the mouth in extracting position adjacent to the thread independently of the transferrer arm, and means to return the thread extractor to normal position subsequent to a complete transferring movement to the transferrer arm. v

2'1. In a weft replenishing loom having a reciprocating lay provided with a shuttle from which a thread extends to the selvage, the thread being attached to the selvage and being movable relatively to the latter as the lay moves, a thread extractor having an intake mouth normally placed in non-extracting position with respect to the thread, means operative upon a replenishing beat of the loom to move the extractor to place the intake mouth in extracting position and spaced from the thread'in the directionv in which the lay reciprocates, motion of the lay moving the thread toward, the intake mouth, means to induce a draft of air into the intake mouth to draw the thread into the extractor, and means to return the thread extractor to normal position after a replenishing operation of the loom, the relative movement of the thread and intake mouth to effect drawing of the thread into the mouth by the draft of air being due jointly to the motion of the thread caused by motion of the lay and motion of the extractor toward extracting position.

28. In a pneumatic thread extractor for a weft replenishing loom having a lay movable backwardly and forwardly and provided with a shuttle box and a shuttle in'the box having a thread extending therefrom to the adjacent seivage, means to out said thread in the shuttle box, a hollow thread extractor, means to move the extractor to a position behind the thread when the lay is in the forward part of its movement, means to move the lay rearwardly to' place the thread adjacent to the thread extractor, means to pick the shuttle out of the shuttle box during rearward movement of the lay, means to create an inrush of air into said thread receiver during picking of the shuttle to draw the weft end into said receiver, and means to move the thread receiver away from said position behind the thread.

29. Mechanism for pneumatic thread extraction in a weft replenishing loom having a shuttle, a lay, a shuttle-box on the lay, transfer mechanism and means to cut the weft thread of the outgoing bobbin in the shuttle box, comprising means cooperating with the shuttle to retain in the shuttle box the severed weft end extending to the adjacent selvage until the shuttle is picked on the succeeding rearward movement of the lay, means to pick the shuttle and simultaneously release said weft end, a hollow thread receiver for the severed weft ends provided with an intake mouth in the path of the severed weft ends, and

means to induce the inrush of air into said receiver through said intake mouth during picking of the shuttle;

30. Mechanism for pneumatic thread extraction in a weft replenishing loom having a shuttle,

a lay, a shuttle-box on the lay, transfer mechaauaaoa nism and means to cut the weft thread of the outgoinlrbobbin in the shuttle box, comprising meanigflcooperating with the shuttle to hold the severed weft end extending to the adjacent selvage until after the lay has passed front center and to release said weft end during thev completion of the rearward movement of the lay, a hollow thread receiver for the severed weft ends provided with an intake mouth in the path of the severed weft ends, and means to induce an inrush of air into said receiver through said intake mouth during said rearward movement of the lay. 31. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle in a shuttle box on said lay from which the severed weft end of an outgoing bobbin extends to the adjacent selvage, in combination, a pneumatic thread extractor having an intake mouth, means to hold 'the extractor with the mouth between the shuttle box and theselvage and adjacent and behind said weft end on a weft replenishing beat of the lay, an intermittently operating air pump, a loom part having a regular motion in timed relation to the lay for each twopick cycle of the loom, a positive connection from said loom part to said pump, whereby said pump is rendered effective to induce suction on each rearward beat of the lay only, and pneumatic connections from the pump to said extractor, said pump acting through said connections to induce a draft of air through the intake mouth to draw said weft end into said extractor as the lay moves rearward after weft replenishment.

RICHARD G. TURNER. 

